An appendix to this patent appears in the file wrapper including a microprocessor object code for executing a puzzle as described herein.
The present invention relates to an electronic puzzle device and particularly to such a device which is adapted to be manually manipulative and generating a motion responsive display for creating and maintaining user interest.
Various hand manipulated puzzle devices have been created in which the user manipulates one or more components for purposes of solving a puzzle. A most recent device is a "Rubic" cube in which rows and columns of colored elements are arranged for simultaneous planar movement. By appropriate manipulation of the various columns and rows in a given plane or face of the cube, each face of the cube can be arranged to show a single color display. The cube can be subsequently reorganized with random disposition of the various colored squares and the puzzles in essence reset for subsequent manipulation. Although there are a number of different solutions in connection with the puzzle, continued manipulation in solving the puzzle results in learning of the necessary sequence and procedures to rather rapidly solve the puzzle. Further, after a number of solutions, continued interest may be lost because of the repetitive sequence for solving of the puzzle. Another manipulative device including a visualized cube unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,087 which issued on Mar. 11, 1986. In the visualized cube, a light array is provided for illuminating a cube face. A predetermined sequence of switch closures established by movement of the cube compared to a programmed switch sequence results in an illuminated display defined as the solution of the visual cube puzzle. The puzzle solution again is controlled by a predetermined repetitive switch closure sequence of the puzzle in order to illuminate corresponding lights or the like. The visualized device again is dependent upon a specific repetitive sequence and the solution would appear to permit reasonably rapid development of the solution such that continued interest would be difficult to maintain.
There is therefore a continuing need and demand for a hand manipulated puzzle generally of the cube-type variety with means for establishing and maintaining various levels of interest and difficulty of solution to establish and maintain interest in the manipulation and solving of the puzzle system.